Once and Future Warlock
by Fierce.Of.Mind
Summary: Arthur finds himself reborn into modern times where magic has once again become illegal- slowly he and his Knights are reunited. They team up and join a resistance to free magic once more. All the while Arthur searches for the final member of the group, his always late manservant: Merlin. They are in for a surprise when they find him. Merlin has no memories of them and no Magic!
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.~ Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or its characters, cause if I did- well...**

 **Anyway main pair is Merlin/Arthur. No slash.**

 **Update: Chapters 1-6 rewritten 9/17.**

Chapter One

Being reborn was a terrible experience. One moment Arthur was in a quiet and comfortable place surrounded by warmth with a solid _badump_ as the only noise, then there was unbearable pressure and blinding light—coldness. He sucked in air and wailed entirely disoriented, his last memory was of that idiot manservant of his crying like a girl (as always) and then nothing—dying.

There were unfamiliar hands all around touching him and he cries harder. The world around him is bleary and entirely too bright. Through his own cries he hears a voice soft and exhausted,

"Let me hold him."

He is passed over and enveloped in warmth again—the faint scent of honey suckle and sweat reaches his nose. There's that voice again and he falls silent,

"Oh, he's beautiful. My Arthur."

The voice is growing weaker, the arms supporting him slumping. He is wrenched away from the warmth and back into the cold. The reborn king cries out his disagreement but is overpowered by louder, more frantic voices.

"Your Highness!...Hurry we're losing her!"

He wriggles still crying as he feels himself carried away. The last thing he hears is a monotone _beeep_ before a deep roar of grief and pain cries out. He knows that voice, heard it in his past life. Cold, distant, commanding—Father. The door slams shut and abruptly there is silence.

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 2 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

It is strange adjusting to being little more than a baby. Going from King to an infant who can't even feed himself is beyond frustrating. Getting used to this future time with the advanced technology, which in Arthur's previous life could only have been done by magic, was a shock at first. The prince has since grown used to it. Indoor plumbing is a wonderful thing, but he must be careful with his actions and speech to not appear too advanced for a two year old. Even with his precautions, the reborn king grows ahead of other children by leaps and bounds.

Yet all is not well—it is the height of the Purge again.

This time Arthur knows it is wrong. He is no longer a blind child. The Once and Future King knows that the Purge is not to eradicate evil or to protect the people, it is only the culmination of his father's hatred. It's bred by grief and the foul actions of a single sorceress. Magic, he knows, does not corrupt people—hatred does.

Having magic doesn't make a sorcerer evil. How can it when Merlin—loyal, bumbling, idiotic Merlin had magic. Even though it stung knowing his friend had not trusted him with the knowledge of his magic the prince _knows_ Merlin is not evil. However, he is only a child, too weak to do anything but watch as thousands die and he is powerless to save them.

Arthur managed to sneak away from the nursemaid (nanny in this time) once and found a TV turned on. It was another news reel of his father's men rounding up people who were accused of magic and never seen again. In those terrified faces he can only see guileless blue eyes, big ears, strong high cheekbones and he vows that this time will be different.

He will be different. The prince doesn't know if he is the only one who has been reborn, but he hopes not. Either way, he plans to free magic—to end his father's reign of terror. The nanny eventually finds him there, staring at the screen and watching the death caused by the Purge. She quickly carts him away.

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 5 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

Morgana was brought to the castle, again as his father's ward, though she is called Morgan now. He knows she is his reincarnated sister for even at seven years old she has the same regal presence. The consummate actress—she conceals her hatred and contempt well, but Arthur has known her all his previous life and he can easily glimpse her emotions.

He tries to speak to her alone, but she avoids the once king. That is, when she isn't mocking him—so similar to how she used to tease him when they were children in another life. He aches; however, there is a malicious cast to her actions, similar to how she was when the former priestess fell into darkness and hatred. Arthur wonders if she remembers as he does.

Morgan falls ill. Something to do with her appendix. After the surgery she spends a day in the hospital before their father insists she finishes recovering at home.

That night the prince sneaks into her room. His sister is paler than usual but still beautiful in the moonlight which filters through the crack in the curtains. Arthur takes her hand and holds it. Asleep like she is, Morgan looks so innocent. The former king almost snorts at the thought. Even before she got magic his sister was never innocent, always up to mischief and causing trouble.

He didn't know why, maybe looking down at her Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to say this to her while she was awake, but he feels he has too. The future king needs to make this promise—to her and to himself.

"You were my sister too, in a past life. Beautiful, compassionate, clever—even for all your annoying qualities I loved you as a sister long before I discovered you truly were.

But then you got magic and became dark and twisted by hatred and fear. And I—"

His breath was stuttering now, the golden haired man had never been good with emotions, but he had to say this out loud just once.

"I _failed_ you. You didn't know—I didn't tell—"

He almost sobbed but managed to hold it back as memories of her betrayal and hatred for him resurfaced. The pain of her loathing, and then realizing she had magic, that she had turned away from Camelot, from _him_ out of fear. Her fear had become hate and that hatred became a madness and a darkness which had destroyed her. He couldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't.

"I promise. This time you'll know you won't have to be alone. When your magic comes I will protect you from father. I will be there for you this time—so that you will have a chance to let your magic be as beautiful as it was always meant to be.

I promise to find a way to let you know that you can turn to me and I will be there for you. I will protect you this time sister, and not just you. When I grow older and stronger I will fight to protect _all_ my people—magic and non-magical alike."

His words rang out into the silence of Morgan's room. A promise. A vow. This time he would not fail her.

He squeezed her hand gently, careful not to wake his sister before quietly slipping out of the room.

And in the silence after the _click_ of the closing door pale, grey eyes opened wary and maybe a little bit hopeful.

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur age ten –[XXXX]-**

Even after having known her for years it was Leon (called Leo) not Morgan who admitted first to remembering his past life.

Arthur had finally met the other at his tenth birthday celebration. As in his old life, Leo was the son of his father's Head of Security and would most likely take over the position when he got older. Even though the former knight was five years Arthur's senior they became fast friends. The older boy was just as loyal and reserved as he was in their past life. When Leo wasn't in school and the young prince wasn't stuck inside with dull tutors they often hung out.

It was once day between endless tutor lessons that they were just coming back from playing footie on the palace lawn when a bucketful of ice water was dropped on them from above. After their cries of surprise both boys looked up to see the smirking face of Arthur's sister.

"Morgan!" He cried.

The young girl above them only laughed, "Look! Now you more closely resemble a wet dog, it's appropriate, I think."

Then she disappeared back inside. For some reason Morgan had gotten more relaxed around him—more like the sister from before magi. Though he could have done without the return of the pranks.

Arthur turned to Leo, "Well, we'll have to stay out here until we dry off. Luckily in this heat it shouldn't take too long."

It was then that he finally caught sight of the other boy's face—it was contemplative and a bit shadowed. Before he could ask what the problem was Leo spoke.

"Arthur—Sire…I…," the former knight seemed to lose his confidence because he didn't finish his sentence. The once king was caught by surprise. Leo had never called him Sire before, not in this life. After the first week of 'Your Highness'es and 'My Prince's he had finally managed to convince the other to just call him Arthur—at least when it was just the two of them. Before he could ponder more on the old moniker Leo managed to gather his courage and squaring his shoulders continued, "Sire, I believe you should be wary of Morgan."

He took a step back in surprise, suddenly looking at his former knight with a new light. The other boy was standing tense but with a determined look in his eyes that Arthur remembered from the council meetings in his previous life. The young prince decided to take the risk of seeming crazy. He stood to his full height and looked Leo straight in the eyes.

"So you remember."

The older boy's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response before he started stuttering out a reply, "I—um—that is—"

Arthur finally decided to take pity on his friend's flustered state, "It' okay, I remember too…Leon."

He took a moment to admire the truly shocked face Leo bore. Even in their past life it was always difficult to get something over on the other so seeing usually stoic knight lose his composure was a treat, but them Arthur remembered the topic of their conversation and turned serious once more. Just as Leo was gaining back his fortitude he continued, "However, I will hear nothing against Morgan—"

"But, Sire! She betrayed you," Leo interrupted. His shock must truly have been deep because it was most unlike him to cut his prince off. In their past life the knight was always too respectful to dare, and even in this life when they were closer friends the other maintained the same level of deference. Arthur noticed his friend looking ready to enter a long-winded argument so he cut him off once again.

"I will not hear it, Leon," the other's past name slipped out due to the heatedness of their topic, "I do not know is she remembers or not, but this is a new life—for all of us—especially her! And I have vowed that I will see magic free of my father's hatred so that what happened last time does not repeat itself. If I have to rebel I will! And this time I will stand with her. You can either stand with me as you did in our past life, or you can stand with my father, but I will not let this cycle continue."

We stand staring at each other, both equally surprised by the impassioned speech, but Arthur knows he meant every word. Leo opened his mouth to respond before it immediately clicked shut and his friend is glaring mistrustfully over the young prince's shoulder. He turns around to see Morgan carefully stepping from behind a bush. She is looking at them with a neutral expression, but he knows his sister well enough to see the hope in her eyes.

"So you meant what you said," she says looking to her half-brother and for the moment ignoring Leo, "that time you snuck into my chambers."

He knows instantly what she is talking about and has to fight down a blush, though judging by the ghost of a smirk Arthur can see on her face he did not entirely succeed. She knows well from this life and his past life the reborn kind's aversion to such a girly thing as spouting out about feelings. To have been caught doing just that—

Arthur pouts at her, though he would never admit to such, because even though he was a reincarnated King, he was also a ten year old and there must be some allowances for immaturity.

"Gana," he says, using her old nickname from when they were children in their previous lives. "You were supposed to be asleep!"

Morgan's ghost of a smirk turns full blown and she retorts, "Well, as a renowned hunter as you claimed to be you should have been capable of a little thing called stealth! You sounded like a herd of cattle sneaking into my room—then you started braying like a dog. Anyone who could sleep through that would have needed to be deaf."

As he opened his mouth to retort that a) he was an excellent hunter and b) he had only been five and she should try being sneaky when she was stuck with the coordination of a five year old when Leo loudly coughed gaining his prince's attention and giving one of his meaningful looks. Arthur stood up straighter and turned back to Morgan who was once again looking at him with a neutral expression.

The Once and Future King stared straight into her pale, grey almost silver eyes, "Yes, I meant it. Every word and promise."

Her tense shoulders relaxed and a slight smile graced her lips—He returned it with a broader one of his before turning back to the former knight.

"What say you Sir Leon," Arthur asked, holding out his hand. "Will you stand with me again?"

The other boy looks hesitantly behind him towards Morgan before giving a deep sigh and clasping my forearm, "Of course, Sire, I will always stand with you."

Arthur beams and reaches up to clap his friend solidly on the back grimacing inwardly because Leo is taller than he is at fifteen. (The young prince couldn't wait to hit his own growth spurt.) He knows it will take a while for the other boy to truly trust Morgan again, and it will be the same when he finds the others, for the others must be out there somewhere, he can feel it. The future king can only hope they remember like Morgan, Leo, and himself. His court might have trouble accepting Morgan, like Leo, but it would be worth it. He knew.

"So," Arthur says. "What exactly happened to my kingdom after I died? Did you even survive the Battle at Camlann?"

Both Leo and Morgan wince slightly but the former knight smiles grimly knowing my topic change for what it was.

"Yes indeed, I did survive the battle and returned to Camelot to serve Lady Guinevere; however, I am afraid I cannot tell you much. A few of the neighboring kingdoms figured that with a female on the throne and especially because of her common background, compounded with the upheaval from your… death.. that Camelot would be vulnerable to conquest. There were quite a few more battles," here he hesitated but his prince's raised eyebrow prompted him to continue.

"Even with…Merlin's assistance…" Again Leo paused, this time looking at Morgan whose countenance had turned dark at the mention of the king's former manservant. Arthur figured that with Merlin being the one who had killed her that she would be a little bitter about the warlock. He hoped that when they ran into his errant servant (and he would, even if he had to hunt the clumsy idiot down himself), that she would be able to forgive the other for finally killing her.

Then what Leo had said finally sunk in.

"Wait, Merlin's assistance?" The young prince questioned looking at his former knight.

The other looks back at him with a little trepidation, "Soon after he returned to Camelot, Lady Guinevere repealed the laws against magic and appointed Merlin, Court Sorcerer," here Leo gave a small reminiscent smile and Arthur felt a stab of jealousy that the other had gotten to see more of the magical side of Merlin that he had.

Before he could think on the feeling further the former knight continued, "It was a title he always objected to—citing that he was a warlock and not a sorcerer. A warlock being vastly more powerful, and Merlin was powerful; however, even with all his might each battle was harrowing. It was against the forces of King Lot that I was killed."

Leo stares off into the distance, a haunted look in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 16 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

If it was frustrating being stuck in the body of an infant, it was out right annoying to have to go through puberty AGAIN. Arthur had been happy to be well past this point in his previous life, but now he had to suffer through it once more. The once king's voice broke at the most inconvenient times and by the smug looks Morgan would give him she knew exactly how much it irritated him. He didn't know why. She had to go through puberty again as well…must be different for girls.

Arthur quickly pushed those thoughts away—he certainly didn't want to think more about that. Nope, now he got to enjoy the wonder that was formal education. Father had sent him off to some elite private school as would only befit someone of his status. Camelot's Elite School of Education, just called Camelot for short, was a kick in the gut when he'd first heard about it, of course, after thinking on it a bit—it made sense.

Apparently his reign as King was good enough to be remembered, even now thousands of years later, even when the castle no longer stands (he'd checked). Admittedly the once king was a bit smug about this (seriously though, they were calling him the greatest king that ever was or will be!) until he had discovered what exactly people thought happened. Morgan and Arthur had been green for weeks. The idea that they had been anywhere near intimate enough to reproduce—ugh, no. After that discovery he'd stayed away from his own legends to avoid any more traumatizing tales.

Besides the name, the school was nice enough. It was actually an old estate that some heirless Nobleman had set up as the school before passing away. The grounds were vast allowing for many sports, and as the Heir to the throne Arthur was expected to participate. When he was younger his horseback riding tutors had always been amazed at how natural he was on a horse, of course it helped that he'd many years of experience from his previous life—even if he did have to regain the muscle memory. Thanks to his apparent skill, his father did not require him to participate in any of the schools equestrian sports; however, the prince was required to take up fencing. In this case, his previous lifetime experience was a bit of a hindrance.

After years of sword fighting, the more structured form of fencing was annoying to deal with. Arthur often forgot he was not swinging a sword but a light, thin foil. He would take the wrong stance or make the wrong counter, and to his ever great embarrassment he was even fouled out (quite a bit in fact) until the prince finally adjusted. The only good thing that came from fencing was being reunited with Lancelot, or Lance as he was called in this time, and eventually Guinevere and Elyan (just Gwen and Elliot now).

Lance, while not coming from a family rich enough to afford attendance at Camelot, was the regional fencing champion where he was from. Camelot, in all its benevolence, offered him a scholarship on the condition that he fenced for them. At first Arthur was weary of approaching his former knight—though he did notice the others attempts at surreptitiously watching him—Lance had after all betrayed his trust with Guinevere. The former king maintained his distance until Morgan guiltily admitted that she had enchanted Lancelot and Guinevere in their past lives in the hopes of weakening me and that Lancelot had not been a willing participant—neither had Guinevere.

It was with relief that he finally reached out and befriended Lance. Being the prince at an elite school such as Camelot had attracted quite a number of people who wanted to make friends with Arthur for either the popularity that would come with it or for the chance to influence or use the heir to the throne for their own wealth and power.

Surrounded by all those faux friend he had truly come to miss the loyalty and faith of his knights and of a particular manservant—his true friends (even if he had never admitted to such at the time). Lance was a breath of fresh air, even if he was more reserved around Arthur than he had been.

The former knight eventually warmed up to him enough that a few weeks after reaching out the prince invited him over to the palace, much to his father's disapproval; however, Arthur was not the same child he had been in his previous life—afraid of any sign of disappointment. He was his own man (even if he was stuck in his pubescent 16 year old body) and the former king was no longer afraid of his father.

Arthur no longer saw the other man as the epitome of what being a good king was, as he had seen him before in his previous life. Uther was a man, a powerful man to be sure, but one that was flawed and clouded by his hatred, and Arthur's people were paying for it. So no, his father's disappointment did not scare him.

Leo was away at his second year of university getting a degree in architecture, of all things. After he graduated the man was set to become the Head of Arthur's personal security, and would likely be the prince's bodyguard when he went off to university. His father was away working on some state emergence, so besides the staff there was only Morgan and himself.

Lance was _very_ stiff around Morgan. He was extremely formal, almost cold toward her. When the former knight turned away to select the video game they were going to play Morgan and Arthur shared a silent conversation: Lance had to remember. His sister looked a little guiltily at the other's back before declaring that she had better things to do than watch us play stupid video games and turning, walked out. She gave him one last meaningful look before she left—he knew she didn't go far.

His friend was still selecting the game as Arthur contemplated how to go about this.

Deciding blunt was best he casually started, "So…Lance…happen to have any memories of a past life?"

The other teen jumped about a foot in the air, scattering all the games. Arthur winced hearing an internal voice that sounded suspiciously like Merlin's scream _Dolluphead!_ Admittedly that might have been a little _too_ blunt.

Lance was now staring at him with too wide eyes that had a slightly panicky cast to them, well as the saying goes: in for a penny, in for a pound.

Pulling out all of his royal bearing the prince continued, "Because I do."

He floundered as Lance became more panicked, he took a deep breath and pushed on, "I am not crazy, and if… if you remember too then you're not crazy either. I am Arthur. The King Arthur, from legend," he paused, then winced, "thought the legends are quite wrong on some aspects."

Arthur waited, searching his friends face for any hint of how he was taking this. Finally the panic in Lance's eyes disappeared and the other teen was just sitting on the floor watching the prince warily.

The silence stretched on and finally he could take the tension no more, "So… do you?... Have memories of a past life?"

Tense and hesitant Lance answered, "At first, it was just dreams. I thought I had an active imagination, but then I met Gwen—"

"Gwen? You found Guinevere?" He couldn't help but interrupt. The former knight seemed to both blush and pale at the same time and Arthur worried for a moment that he would pass out.

"I—yes, she was—is m-my girlfriend, back home. We thought we were the only ones—I mean besides Elyan, who is called Elliot now. And we both had dream-memories before meeting each other, but after we met they all rushed back and we both knew we had somehow returned.

"Even though she had lived so much longer than I did—she was still the same. I had loved her before, and when we met again I knew I loved her still. We hung out a lot and eventually started dating. I-I know she was your wife, but I don't think I can give her up again. It was a mess there at the end, but it wasn't my fault—I would never have done that to her or you. I—"

"Lance!" Arthur cut off the jumbled mess that was coming from his friend, "Lance, it's okay. Calm down. Breathe."

The other teen had been getting more and more flustered during his explanation and eventually the prince had to interrupt. He took a deep breath and spoke before Lance could launch into another babble explanation.

"I am…happy… for both you and Guinevere," and surprisingly enough Arthur found that he meant it.

She had been the love of his life, before. Always standing by him. Guinevere had been a great queen and had always had his back, but thinking back on it—the Once and Future King could never love her as she truly deserved. His people would always come first, and a kind, gentle soul like Guinevere deserved so much more. She deserved someone who could love her wholeheartedly. Looking at Lance, Arthur knew, the other man would and had been doing just that. The love he felt for his former Queen was probably more like the love he felt for Morgan.

Lance was looking at him dubiously so he continued in a more confident voice, "You can love her as she deserves to be loved. The way, I, as king, could never love her. So yes, I am happy for the both of you."

His former knight studied him for a while before the tension in his shoulders disappeared, and he slumped, relieved. His eyes shone with a gratitude that Arthur felt he probably did not deserve, and the prince became uncomfortable with the heavy, emotionally charged atmosphere between them; as a result he blurted out the first thing which popped into his head—shattering the mood.

"And I know it wasn't your fault, before, with Guinevere. Morgan, er—I mean—Morgana, explained to me what she did."

Lance once more tensed up, though this time a dark emotion passed over his face, "Morgana—"

Before he could say anything else the topic of their conversation swept into the room like a hurricane (probably she had been listening at the door the whole time) and looked at her half-brother with disdain, "Really, Arthur, if you were any more blunt we could use you as a hammer."

" _Morgs!_ " He hissed. (Calling her Gana hadn't made much sense anymore, and anyway she hated this nickname much more than the other, which made it all the more entertaining to use.) She ignored Arthur and turned to a now bewildered and guarded Lance.

The studied each other warily and her eyes softened with what the once king could tell was true regret as she addressed him.

"I owe you an apology, Sir Lancelot," she said dropping her gaze to the floor. "What I did to you was the darkest of magic. I was so lost in my own hatred that I trespassed on your soul. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I want you to know that should you need anything—if it within my power—I will help you."

With that Morgan swept out of the room as quickly as she had entered, leaving both Lance and Arthur in a state of stupor. Lance was the first to break free, "Wh-What just happened?"

He could only smile at the former knight sadly, his sister was truly trying to change and the prince explained to him as much. The other teen looked doubtful but he knew that like Leo, Lance would come around.

"So," Arthur said, breaking the silence that followed after his explanation, "how about we actually start playing one of those games, and you can tell me how Guinevere and… Elliot, was it?" He asked and the other nodded in confirmation, "Yes, tell me how they are doing."

Lance smiled though it was tremulous as the former knight was still slightly overwhelmed at all that had been revealed in such a short amount of time; still it was a happy smile all the same, "Well, first, you should know, she's just called Gwen now."

* * *

Because of how far away Lance's hometown was, it took a bit of planning and scheduling to get Gwen and Elliot over for a visit. Arthur's princely duties also served to interfere. His father had returned from his state emergency and he and Morgan were once again called to their royal duties, she as the man's ward and he as his son.

There were weekend dinners and charities to attend, filled to the brim with sycophants the prince was expected to put up with. On top of that there was classwork and fencing tournaments (where, just as in his previous life, losing was not an option).

Finally, they caught a lucky break. Their father had to leave for a week to attend the wedding anniversary celebration of two of his noble friends in one of the neighboring countries. This unfortunately, did serve to remind Arthur that as Prince he would soon be expected to marry. (Hopefully, he could dodge that bullet again.) It seemed his father was looking to match him with the Lady Vivian, who was exactly the same as she was in her previous life—though thankfully, it appears, without the memories.

Shaking off those thoughts, Arthur phoned the guards at the gate to tell them to allow Lance, Gwen, and Elliot through. It helped that they had seen Lance with their prince a few weeks before so they should face no troubles getting in. He waited the 30 minutes it would take them to get through all the security checkpoints that his father insisted on (heaven forbid any _evil_ sorcerers find their way in) before getting up to allow them in.

They were in his private wing of the palace again. Morgan was in his little kitchen, nervously bustling about attempting to make tea. Leo was wondering around the room, looking at anything that caught his attention when Arthur opened the door to greet Lance. The other teen had started to act more like himself (from his past life) after their talk and was much more open. Behind him was Gwen, she was exactly as he remembered her. Upon seeing her former husband her eyes filled with tears and she ran to give him a hug.

"Arthur, oh, it really is you," she blubbered into his shoulder, and he couldn't help but smile down at her fondly.

"Yes, Gwen, it is," he chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of her head before holding her at arm's length to look at his former Queen more closely.

"You haven't changed a bit."

Yes, she was exactly the same as the former king remembered (if a tad younger being 16 like Lance and himself). Arthur smiled and hugged her once more before finally releasing her to face Elliot. Gwen went to stand beside Lance who had greeted and was standing next to Leo, giving him a reassuring smile and sending a nod of recognition Leo's way.

Elliot was young compared to when he had first met him in Camelot. Now the other boy was only 14 and all angles and limbs. The former knight definitely lacked the muscle mass he'd had with the training as one of his knights and even before then as the son of a blacksmith. Still, they smiled in greeting at each other and clasped forearms.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Elliot," Arthur said.

"You as well, Sire," he responded.

"Now, none of that. These are modern time! Just call me Arthur," they released arms and he clapped the other teen solidly on the back before pulling him further into the heir suite and closing the door.

Morgan finally came out of hiding, walking out of the kitchen holding a tea set which she quickly set on the coffee table in front of the TV. His sister straightened up, face settled into an unreadable mask, hiding all her emotions. If Arthur had not heard her nervously banging about in the kitchen earlier, he would have had no idea how she was feeling right now.

The former High Priestess stood there as regal as any queen. The tension in the room was thick as they all stood around waiting for something to happen. It was Gwen, sweet Gwen, who finally shattered the silence.

She broke away from Lance and approached Morgan who seemed to go more rigid. Gwen reached out and clasped his sister's hand. She looked into the paly, icy eyes of the woman before her with her own warm, umber colored ones. The former Queen appeared to find whatever it was she was searching for because she smiled and to the shock of everyone in the room, hugged Morgan.

Gwen's next words were whispered, but the silence was so consuming they heard every word, "Lance told me what you said, and I am so happy that you are finally free of your hatred. It may take a while but you will find forgiveness. You certainly have mine."

And for the first time in Arthur's memory (both in this life and the one before) Morgan broke down and cried. Gwen gently guided her to a couch while the guys awkwardly stood staring at nothing in particular, but definitely avoiding eye contact or looking anywhere near the couch and its occupants. The former Queen poured a cup of tea and handed it to Morgan who finally managed to get herself under control.

"Thank you," she quietly said, the words loaded with meaning.

Her former friend and handmaiden just smiled and poured herself a cup before settling comfortably into the couch next to Morgan. Gwen looked at them expectantly and they all moved to take their own seats. Lance next to her on the couch and Arthur in one of the two armchairs on either side. Elliot and Leo moved into the kitchen to get some snacks and probably catch up.

There was a moment of comfortable silence then Gwen turned to him eyes filled with curiosity, "I am surprised Merlin hasn't found you yet. With modern technology it wouldn't have been that hard for him to locate you."

Something in his chest tightened at the mention of his errant manservant, "I imagine he is too young for his parents to allow him to go gallivanting off, even to see a Prince such as myself."

She was clearly surprised by his response before realization flashed over her face, "Oh! That's right! You don't know."

"Know what?" He questions, suddenly nervous by her response.

Gwen looked at him with something akin to sadness, "Merlin is… immortal."

"WHAT!?" Both he and Morgan exclaimed in surprise. Leo and Elliot peeked out of the kitchen in curiosity before exiting it with arms full of snacks they had plundered from Arthur's cabinets and setting them next to the tea set on the coffee table. Both moved off to the side. Elliot taking the other chair, and Leo standing next to him.

"I…yes," Gwen replies, her eyes unfocused with memories. "I was Queen over Camelot for 26 years after the Battle of Camlann. In the beginning there was a lot of unrest," she turned and looked towards Leo with sorrow, "but with the help of the Knights, and Merlin, Camelot survived and flourished. By the time I passed away I was about 49 years old, quite old in those days.

"I could never bring myself to remarry so we managed to track down a distant cousin of yours and he presumable took the throne after my passing. Where I and the Knights all grew old and grey, Merlin did not. The day I died he looked as young and spry as he did the first day he walked into Camelot. He told me it was because he was Magic. Not just having it, he was it," she took in all of their stunned expressions and smiled despondently.

"He told me that as long as there is Magic he would exist. The day he died would be the day Magic died, and the day Magic died would be the end of the world." They sat in stunned silence contemplating her words when Gwen turned and looked directly at Arthur, "There was also… a prophecy."

"A prophecy," he responded blankly, this was getting to be too much.

"I…yes," she answered before visibly gathering up her courage, "Merlin told me that the druids foretold…well, they foretold you, and him. Both of you really."

"Foretold us," he repeated still too shocked to say anything else.

"Yes! You are the Once and Future King, it's your destiny to free Magic, and it was—is Merlin's destiny to watch over and protect you while you do. He told me he would be waiting, even if it took a thousand years or more for you to return. He should have found you by now," she finished, gnawing on her lower lip worriedly.

Their dumbfounded silence was all that met her exclamation, and a heavy weight settled in Arthur's stomach at the thought of his best friend waiting all this time for him, all alone. Would Merlin even be the same? The prince could hardly imagine his friend's cerulean eyes shadowed by the unimaginable horrors of time. Before his mind could conjure up any more unsettling images Morgan abruptly slammed down her tea cup, stood and all but ran into the kitchen.

They looked at each other in alarm before the former King stood up and addressed the others who were watching the kitchen door warily, "Er…I'll just go check on her."

He quickly stood and made his way to the kitchen to find Morgan angrily pacing and ranting.

"That coward," she snarled at him when he came in. "Where was he! If he was alive all this time why did he do nothing where Uther started the Purge again in this time!?"

Before he could answer to defend his absent manservant, she continued, her voice viciously whipping out, "This is what he does! Hiding away like a spineless worm. If he had just helped…He could have saved so many."

Morgan's volatility slowly disappeared until she was just leaning, weakly against the counters, and then she was whispering, "If he had just helped me…"

Arthur didn't know what to say so he just went up to her and hugged her like Gwen had. His sister leaned into him needing the comfort; however, one of her questions was still bouncing around in his head: _Where was Merlin?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 18 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

Arthur finally managed to graduate from the hell on earth called high school. Camelot, for all its pedigree, was a tedious place filled with adolescent, tedious people. Gwen's revelation about Merlin and his supposed immortality made the prince all the more impatient to go and hunt down his ever impertinent friend, but he had to wait and actually _grow up_.

Thank the deities* for Lance, otherwise being stuck alone in a cesspool of hormonally driven teenagers would have been miserable. He even began working out—not only to burn off some pent up frustration, but also to regain his previous physique; however, it had the adverse effect of attracting even more unwanted attention.

Flocks of people followed the former King; however, being a prince it was to be expected (and not anything entirely new due to his past experience). Still, it didn't help that those people were so childish compared to himself it was difficult to not lash out. By their age, Arthur had already begun his knighthood training and had seen his fair share of bloodshed.

All the drama surrounding who was dating who, and who got knocked up or some such trivial thing was exasperatingly annoying. Thankfully, even though he was stuck in the hormonal body of a teenager the prince had the maturity to avoid acting too rashly. Although, when girls and even some guys kept… propositioning him it became difficult to hold himself in check, but he managed it—mostly.

The second best thing about graduating was his father deciding Arthur needed another personal bodyguard—reuniting him with Percival, called Percy now. Leo had already finished university and was his first, but since the prince decided to take a year off from schooling (and maybe find a certain warlock and his last knight, though Arthur was fairly certain of where he'd find him) the king ruled that he was in need of another.

At that point he figured all his knights would have their memories and it would just be a matter of convincing them they were _not_ crazy. Due to previous conversations about their past lives they had discovered that he was the only one who had been born with everything. Everyone else had only vivid dreams up until they were reunited with the Once and Future King, afterwards everything would come flooding back.

Percy was about the same age as Leo, and just as big as he had been when he was a knight. He was finished with University too. The man had majored in English, citing he'd always known he wanted to work in a field protecting people but that he didn't really want to put the effort into something like engineering, just wanting a degree.

Originally the former knight was going to be a police officer, but after a short stint in training he had gotten the offer to body guard. According to his interview, Percy 'felt' that this was where he needed to be. It was hard to tell if the Round Table's 'Gentle Giant' began acting differently after meeting Arthur, but eventually they did notice a slight difference in his attitude towards Morgan. Most telling of all was his reaction to Gwen when he finally saw her.

According to the former Queen, Percival had been the last of his knights to pass away, only a year or two before herself, and she admitted that had become even closer friends in their old age; with the man's reaction, they finally decided to assure Percy he was not alone with his memories. Elliot couldn't make it because the poor sod was still in high school and Morgan was off at her second year of uni, but the rest of the gang gathered and broke the news.

They were in an apartment which Arthur managed to convince his father to allow him for his yearlong sabbatical to 'experience some independence'. It was a fairly large two-bedroom apartment with a small kitchenette attached to the living room. The prince had one room to himself while Leo and Percy switched between using the second bedroom or the pull-out couch.

With all of them there, the living area was pretty crowded, but they managed to squeeze in. Percy believed they were there on the premise of playing video games and hanging out, but as everyone settled down and turned to look expectantly at Arthur a sliver of suspicion crossed his face.

"Sooo… Percy," he started before the silence stretched on too long, "no need to beat around the bush. We have our memories, and we know you have yours."

Lance, Gwen, and Leo gave simultaneous sighs of exasperation.

His former wife stood and headed to the little kitchenette calling back, "You still haven't learnt any tact, Arthur. I'm getting tea as its obvious we're going to need it."

Thanks to the layout of the apartment she would still be able to see them and participate in the following conversation. Lance and Leo were both chuckling like idiots.

The former King huffed in annoyance, "If you wanted tact, then you should have said something first. You should know by now I have no patience for being tactful if I don't have to be."

Lance finally managed to stop guffawing to respond, "Don't I know it! Nearly gave me a heart attack when you finally confronted me about my memories."

Gwen marched back in with the tea set, serving Percy first—the both of them sharing reminiscent smile—before she turned to give the rest of them stern glares.

"Behave you lot!"

The three of them quickly acquiesced under her stern look. Percy was handling the situation with the same solitude he had been known for in his past life; of course, he had lived a lot longer than Arthur and the rest of the knights so his maturity (and probably time spent in Merlin's magical company—no he was absolutely not _jealous_ ) undoubtedly helped. The prince explained to the other his stance on magic, and the former knight was relieved. Like the others he also voiced to the former King his reservations about Morgan but Arthur stood by her. Surprisingly, so did Leo.

"I admit to not trusting her at first, but after all these years I have watched Morgan closely and decided that yes, she has turned over a new leaf and is making every effort to make every effort to make amends."

They all fell silent at his statement. Percy studied his brother-in-arms in that moment and for an instant you could see the years he had outlived them (except Gwen) etched on his face.

Finally the large man nodded, "I will give her a chance; however, I reserve judgement until I meet her myself and see if she has truly changed or not."

He studied us a moment longer then grinning he turned to Gwen who was sitting next to Lance calmly sipping her tea, and in a tone meant to lighten the mood he asked, "So, where's Merlin? I thought nothing would have kept him away from Arthur."

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 19 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

Finally, the Once and Future King could begin searching for the last two members of his Table. Gwen was busy working, saving up for university so it was mostly Leo, Percy, Lance and himself who actively looked. To find Gwaine they searched in any club or bar they came across; however, there were so many it was the proverbial needle in a haystack. The search was made far more difficult because the prince had to maintain a discreet cover. If the paparazzi found him Arthur would be unable to continue his search.

Trying to find Merlin, who was a warlock (and not just any warlock, but The Warlock) during his father's magic hating reign was already an almost insurmountable feat. He had to be even more careful to avoid recognition not only to not scare away any potential leads, but to also, again, avoid the paparazzi. Finding Merlin when being hounded by the paps would have been impossible, and if the king caught wind of his spending extended amounts of time in clubs he would have been called home faster than Morgan could say _magic_.

So they searched and found nothing; nevertheless, it was not time wasted. Traveling incognito allowed Arthur to truly see the effects of his father's hatred on his people. There was fear, suspicion, and mistrust everywhere. Those accused of magic were steadily disappearing, and those accused of helping magic users were arrested and never seen or heard from again. Strangers were especially regarded with distrust and this hindered his search even more, but there was one upside of spending almost all his time in clubs or bars. Alcohol tended to loosen tongues, and they began to hear whisperings of resistance and rebellion.

The first time they came across such rumors it was in a little dingy out of the way bar. It was sequestered between two equally dingy looking buildings. The inside was poorly lit—probably to hide all the grime. It was the perfect place to look for Gwaine. He and the guys split up to hopefully find some leads and to appear less conspicuous.

Arthur sat at a small table near one of the darker corners where two men, who were clearly well into their cups, sat having a heated argument and did not notice the disguised prince's apparent interest in their conversation. Both wore tattered hats, angled to shadow their faces and in the already dark corner it was impossible to see any identifying features. All he could tell was one was broad-shouldered and bulky while his companion was noticeably more lean—verging on scrawny.

The bulky one took a large swig from his tankard before slamming it down unto the stained table causing some of the amber liquid to slosh out.

"Tha' Dragon Lor' is far ter soft! All tis runnin' and hidin' innit goin' ter see us freed anyti' soon. I say we need ter take teh fight ter Uther an' not sit aroun' on our laurels waitin' fer his men ter come bargin' down our doors ter arrest us."

His companion gave an exasperated sigh as if this wasn't the first time he had heard his friend voice such thoughts, "An' what would you prefer," he hissed, swinging his mug and almost hitting the burly one in the nose. "That we join them Priestesses? HA! We would jus' be tradin' one tyranny fer another! I'm tellin' ya, those two is bad news."

"At leas' theys fightin'," exclaimed the first, "instead a jus' sittin' 'round. All us magic users need ter ban' together an fight! We got magic, we need ter use it! Free ourselve'."

The skinny man scoffed, "Magic! What magic ye' referin' teh? Ain't ya heard? The magic's dyin', been dyin' out fer years! Most a us barely 'ave enough ter make pr'tty lights appear! It'd beh slaughter. Anyway, ain't ya heard the rumors," here he leaned in closer and lowered his voice so Arthur had to strain to hear him.

The man across from him leaned in, clearly eager to hear what his friend would say, "Listen close, tis beh news from teh top. I hear Uther's been developin' some kinda _anti-magic_ techn'gy. Them Priestesses weren' happy ter hear that, an' neither is teh Lord."

" _Anti-magic!_ " The burly man exclaimed before he was quickly shushed by his friend. The former king chanced a peak in their direction and noticed them glancing nervously at him, finally worrying about his presence. Arthur drained the rest of his beer and stood signaling the others. He knew wasn't getting any more out of the two.

Back at the apartment Arthur relayed the conversation he had overheard. They sat in contemplative silence before Lance spoke up.

"You said they referred to someone called 'The Dragon Lord'," he asked, looking at the prince for confirmation. He nodded and the former knight sat back rubbing his chin, a habit when he was thinking.

Leo looked at the other man sharply, "You don't think—"

Percy interrupted, "It would make sense, though it still doesn't explain why he hasn't contacted us yet."

The three of them lapsed back into silence while Arthur waited for an explanation. His former knights were sharing looks and practically having a private conversation with their eyes.

The former King grew irritated enough to demand, "What makes sense!?"

The three of them looked up at him startled before an expression of dawning understanding took over, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from lashing out in annoyance. Arthur was starting to associate that look with Merlin and another of his secrets that he wasn't privy to before his death. Sure enough, when Lance spoke up it was to reveal another facet of his manservant that the Once and Future King hadn't known before.

"Merlin was…is…the last Dragon Lord," he mumbled.

What? The prince could only stare at the other man dumbly before his mouth moved to correct him, "No. That was Balinor."

Lance grimaced, however, it was Percy who spoke up next, his quiet voice shattering the strained silence, "Balinor…was Merlin's father…when he died, Merlin inherited his power."

Arthur's mind went blank.

 _Oh._

He had one blissful second while that statement sunk in then memories started flashing behind his eyes. Merlin's off behavior during the search for Balinor. His odd silences and lost looks. Most of all the prince remembered the other's devastated expression when Balinior died, his tears. At the time he'd thought his friend was crying over a stranger, but it had been his father. _His father._

And Arthur remembered his words to Merlin as he stood grieving, " **No man is worth your tears."**

The former King ached with the knowledge that Merlin ( _Merlin,_ his best friend) hadn't confided in him his pain. Admittedly at the time the prince couldn't even confess to himself that the other was anything more than a manservant, but even back then he'd recognized the other man's steadfast resolve to stand by him. Arthur would have gladly returned the favor to be there for Merlin. In that moment he hated Uther, just a little.

The King, his father, was the root of it all. His opinion that servants were only to serve mostly kept the then prince from admitting that Merlin was his friend for the longest time. His father's hatred of Magic had forced his friend into keeping many secrets. It had taken until Arthur was _dying_ for the other to even tell him he possessed Magic, and that had been years after Uther's death.

It was Leo's uncomfortable cough which finally pulled the prince out of his swirling thoughts and he recalled the conversation at hand.

"So…This Dragon Lord could be Merlin," he asked, much to the relief of the others in the room.

"Yes, but it does not explain why he hasn't contact you or any of us…If the Dragon Lord is Merlin," Lance replied, then the knights expression darkened. "There is also the problem of the 'Priestesses' that were mentioned."

Arthur tensed, one name coming to mind, "Morgause."

Leo nodded in agreement before turning contemplative, "There is also the possibility of Nimueh. They referred to the 'Priestesses' meaning more than one…What if… what if it was some kind of organization? Clearly the Dragon lord and the Priestesses are not on the same side, but the both advocate pro-magic."

"If that is the case we need to try and find the 'Dragon Lord' and see if it is Merlin," he said. "We also need to get more information on the 'Priestesses' and find out if Morgause or Nimueh truly are involved," the others nodded in agreement to Arthur's statement.

Percy spoke up then, his voice somber, settling into the air like a heavy blow, "Don't forget what was said about magic. **Magic is dying.** And if magic is dying…"

He didn't finish, but the former knight didn't need to, they all understood the implications. Thanks to Gwen they knew how tied Merlin and Magic were. The fact that Magic was dying could mean only one thing: _Merlin was dying._

Arthur felt a stone settle in his gut. The air in his lungs became leaden, but the prince also felt his resolve harden into a fierce determination which was reflected back at him in the eyes of Lance, Percy, and Leo. They would find Merlin, and they would help him.

'This time, Merlin,' he thought, 'you won't be alone.'

 **A.N.~** ***Thank the deities: On the show it had been a little over 20 years since the Purge. Before then (from what I can infer) the Old Religion had been followed by many, not just the Druids or the Priest/esses, and even though Uther would have wanted to get rid of all traces- there would have been traditions that were impossible for him to erase so there would still be traces. I am also not sure if any of the Noble class were Christian hence the use of deities (as in plural) I figured even in this modern world, Arthur's beliefs from his previous life would hold more sway. Also, even if he isn't particularly religious the use of 'Thank the deities' is similar to 'Thank God'—just wanted to clarify that point for you guys.**

 **Fierce. Out.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 19 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

Arthur hated him. That man. _Uther Pendragon._ He has never been more ashamed to be that man's son. It was towards the end of his sabbatical from schooling and he and the guys were running out of time to find their friends. The King had interrupted his search for Gwaine and Merlin, calling the prince into his office to speak about 'important affairs, vital to the safety of the kingdom'.

The Once and Future King walked into the office thinking that their meeting would be nothing more than a discussion of the kingdom's armed forces or maybe even a talk about getting betrothed. Uther was seated behind his mahogany desk, and antique which had belonged to their great, great, great-however-many-greats grandfather. They were in their estate in the city, Logres Palace, a sprawling building with over 650 rooms, and many other things besides—he never really paid attention.

It was silent for a few moments as the king signed some papers. All Arthur could do was shift in irritation, the need to be out there searching for Gwaine and Merlin making him itch. Finally, Uther looked up.

"Son, I think it's time I show you some of the steps I've taken to eradicate the evil that is Magic."

There was a maniac gleam in his eye, and the prince could only feel his stomach sink as the King stood and led him out onto the grounds. He reluctantly followed him to a shed near the stables that looked almost too dilapidated to still be standing. To the right of the door Uther tapped on a panel and a lighted keypad and hidden palm scanner appeared. He entered a code and laid his palm over the scanner, form within the shed there was a loud _clank._

Inside Arthur watched as a set of stairs leading downwards appeared. The king went down and he followed him, feet dragging. The reborn king was reminded of the time when he was younger, in his past life, when he had tried to sneak down to see if there really was a dragon chained beneath the castle. The young prince had followed the steps deep into the bowels of the castle. He never reached the dragon though. Once of the guards caught him. Uther had been furious and as punishment had stepped up his training. He'd said that if Arthur had enough energy to wander then he needed to be working harder.

Down they went, deeper and deeper, surrounded by cold concrete. He could almost physically feel the weight of the dirt above him pushing down. The prince did not want to be here in this place, but he knew he had no choice but to follow. The steps eventually opened up into a well-lit hallway that had heavy iron doors at regular intervals.

Each door was bolted and labeled with large black numbers. There was a sliding screen to allow people to peer into the rooms beyond. Uther ignored these rooms walking straight down to the end of the hallway which split off. The king went left, and Arthur followed. Halfway down that hallway they stopped at a room with another key pad.

It took all of the Once and Future King's self-control to keep the horror from his face. They were in an observation room, but that wasn't what had captured his attention. Through the observation glass he could see a person strapped down.

They were too thin, and pale. The man's red hair was lanky and oily. He was hooked up to various machines around the room. Surrounding the poor man were cold-faced people in white lab coats, scientists, they were the first people he had seen in this place. Uther came up to stand next to his son.

"Watch, Arthur, this is how we will secure the safety of our nation," he signaled to one of the scientists who immediately nodded and turned to a computer.

Various machines in the room started up, beeping and blinking. The prince's fists clenched at his sides as the man on the table started convulsing, mouth opening as if to scream. He braced himself to not react to the agonized yells, but no sound came out which made watching all the worse. The men and women in coats just watched, taking notes and adjusting dials as if this wasn't something monstrous.

It took a full minute for Arthur to unclench his jaw enough to talk and another to make sure his voice was normal. Luckily Uther was too busy _observing_ to see his son's reaction.

"What are they doing," the Future King questioned, feeling his nails dig into the meat of his palms with the effort to not shout and rave for the depravity to end.

Uther smiled. _Smiled._ Arthur wanted to kill him. How had he never seen the madness before?

"With the technology I'm having developed, not only are we able to detect magic users, but soon we will be able to detect the origin," the King spit out this last part with utter loathing, "of Magic."

"Once we discover where Magic comes from we can destroy it," Uther turned back to look at him his face contorted in a vicious grin—the man looked completely insane, "These machines are just the stepping stones. Soon the world will be free of the plague of Magic."

Uther Pendragon turned back to the room with the scientists, a sadistic gleam in his eye as he watched the unfortunate man strapped down writhe in pain. There was blood now, streaming from the red-heads nose, his eyes, his ears. Everyone just watched as the blood mixed with the lank hair, staining it a darker crimson.

* * *

The loud slam of his apartment door did nothing to calm the swirling storm of anger in Arthur's gut. Leo was in the living room and looked up at his entrance. The former knight opened his mouth, no doubt to ask about how the meeting went but snapped it closed. Lance and Percy came out of the kitchenette, their expressions of wary curiosity immediately morphed into concern upon settling on their prince. There was a tense silence as they waited for an explanation he couldn't yet give.

"Get ready," Arthur said instead. "We're going out."

He took them to the same bar where he had overheard those two men. It was just as dingy as he remembered. They spread out, Leo, Lance, and Percy sneaking concerned glances in his direction when they thought the prince wasn't looking. Arthur ignored them and settled in a dark corner. A plump waitress made her way over to him and he ordered a beer, but couldn't bring himself to drink it.

In his mind's eye he kept seeing the man strapped down and writhing—only instead of red hair it was brunette. And blood was dripping from ridiculously big ears. And it was Merlin. _Merlin. Struggling. Screaming. Dying._

No.

The reborn king took a deep breath and wrenched himself from the image. Uther wasn't going to get away with it. This time Arthur wouldn't sit back and allow these atrocities to happen. A draft blew across his face, breaking the prince from his thoughts. He looked up just as two men entered. It was the same two men from before. They stumbled in and settled at the same table as last time. He watched them order drinks and a plan suddenly formed in his mind.

Arthur looked around and caught Percy's eye at the bar. Being careful to conceal his actions the prince signed **Follow** and then **Confront** tilting his head in the direction of the two men. The former knight gave a barely perceptible nod to confirm, and the reborn king turned back to his drink knowing the other man would alert Leo and Lance. Now they just had to wait for the two men to leave.

He was careful not to get drunk, dumping his beer on the ground to make it seem like he was well in his cups. The floor was so dirty no one noticed. An hour or so after the men first arrived Arthur saw Leo leave, followed by Percy about thirty minutes later. They would wait outside for the two men and follow them. He and Lance would follow after to avoid suspicion.

Finally, a half hour before the bar was set to close the two men struggled to their feet and left, weaving around and clearly drunk. The prince waited five minutes and followed knowing Lance would wait the appropriate amount of time and then leave too.

The men had just made the corner when he stepped out. Arthur set his pace for a leisurely walk and headed in the same direction. At this time of night hardly anyone was around, only vagrants and criminals. Both stayed clear of the former King.

Arthur followed them for about 4 blocks catching brief glimpses of Leo and Percy, Lance was some distance behind himself. The men stopped at the entrance of an alley, probably about to part ways, when they struck. Both men were too drunk to put up much of a fight, he and the former knights easily herded them deeper into the alley. They shuffled and pushed the drunkards until the men crashed into the dead end wall and fell into a heaped mess.

"We ain' got no money," the thinner one whimpered, holding desperately to the wall which in his drunken state was probably the only thing keeping him up.

"We's piss poor," the broader one's slurred voice echoed, actually managing to stand up, only to waver and almost topple back over, "t'eres no'in a val'ya ter our na'ms."

"We don't want your money," the prince responded, stepping up so they could clearly see his face under the hood of his jacket. "I want to know what you know about the Dragon Lord."

He heard Leo, Lance, and Percy shuffle behind him. After this he would have to explain thing to his men. It still filled Arthur's heart with warmth that melted some of the cold rage he had been drowning in that his former knights would follow him even now with no questions asked.

The thinner of the two was the first to recognize him, his voice raising two octaves in terror, "P-prince Arthur," he exclaimed stumbling along the wall trying to get as far away from him as possible. "We don' kno' no'thin abou' te Dragon Lor'. Me an Finn gots nothin' ter do wit Magic. Swear on me mam'!"

The broad one, now identified as Finn finally caught on and started blubbering too, "Derr'k's tellin' ter truth! We ain' go' no'thin ter do wit Magic. Don' kill us!"

Both men were now scrambling as far away from the prince as possible, and he felt a little guilty about terrifying them; however, he was going to stick with his plan.

"Shut up," he spoke, not yelling but with enough force to make them listen. "We already know about your ties with the resistance—"

Arthur didn't get the chance to continue as their hysterics increased at that bit of news. The blubbering was starting to give him a headache.

"Be silent," he yelled, his voice echoing in the enclosed space and finally they shut up.

He walked forward and grasped the one called Derrick, pulling him closer to make sure he had the man's full attention. The drunk was trembling in his grasp and his breath rank of beer, but he didn't let that stop him.

"I want you to give a message to the Dragon Lord," Arthur told him, looking square in his wide, terrified eyes, "Tell him Arthur Pendragon wants to meet."

He waited for the other man to nod before letting him go. The man fell in a heap on the ground and quickly stumbled up, grabbing his friend. They both ran as fast as drunks could—passing between Leo and Percy.

Just as they were passing Lance near the entrance of the alley the Future King called out, "Don't thing to betray me. I know your faces."

Both men faltered and then finally made it out of the alley. He breathed out, some tension in his shoulders easing as he went over what he'd said. If Merlin was the Dragon Lord, the hopefully he would realize it was him and also that Arthur remembered.

He turned around to find his former knights watching him. They clearly wanted answers about his aggressive behavior and about what had wound him up.

Arthur walked passed them and out of the alley, "Let's head back to the apartment. I'll explain things there."

There was shuffling behind him the Leo's grave voice, "As you wish, Sire."

Once back in his apartment the prince settled gratefully into an armchair as the others found their seats. He cradled his head on his hands the headache from earlier turning into a full blown migraine, but no matter how hard the blood pounded in his ears or his eyes throbbed at any source of light Arthur owed his friends an explanation.

It was Leo who spoke first, "Arthur," he said hesitantly, "what happened?"

The Future King of Albion's head snapped up and an animalistic snarl marred his face, "Uther," he spat, "that's what happened."

Leo, Percy, and Lance all leaned back at the venom in his words. In the years since they had been reunited Arthur had never spoken of Uther with such hatred—dislike maybe, but not with the absolute loathing he now displayed. The prince was beginning to see why Morgan had hated them so much if this was the monster she had seen every time she looked upon Camelot.

The other men shared a look, Warily, Lance leaned forward and asked the question on all their minds, "What has the king done now?"

And so he told them. Everything. From the moment Arthur had steeped into that hellish observation room to the sudden plan that had sprung into his mind at the sight of those two men.

"So you see," he told them, "we need to warn them. Not only about Uther being able to scan for magic users, but also the fact that he's hunting for the origin of Magic. I don't know if there even is an origin of Magic, but—,"

"There is," Percy interrupted and they all swung around to look at him, "There is…a cave…that is supposed to have been the birth place of Magic. Merlin told me about it."

Arthur was too emotionally wrung for the usual twinge of not-jealousy to make its appearance whenever someone else mentioned something about Merlin and his magic that he should have known.

Instead, resting his chin on his fingers contemplatively, he asked, "Do you know where it is?"

"No," the other man responded, "Merlin only mentioned it in passing. Before the Battle of Camlaan,"

The reborn King couldn't help but flinch at the memory of that battle where he had been fatally wounded while the others looked on in sympathy.

Percy plowed on, "Morgana found out about Merlin having magic, and his using it to aid you. She apparently tried to take it away so that he couldn't help in the battle. Merlin went to the cave to try and get it back."

And Arthur remembered. Merlin's odd behavior before that final battle. The hurt of his best friend actually choosing not to go with him and his disappointment. He remembered his disparaging words now with guilt. Merlin hadn't abandoned him.

When he finally met that idiot he was going to punch him and then thank him again for all the things he never knew about. (He didn't consider his dying thanks as nearly enough gratitude for what he was beginning to learn of his best friend's deeds.)

A particularly harsh throb forced Arthur's thoughts away from such girly musings, "Still, this resistance needs to know. Even if Merlin isn't the Dragon Lord. Remember, Magic is weakening, and if Uther finds this cave first…"

The prince trailed off as they looked at each other somberly. No one needed to say how bad things would get if Uther found the cave.

"So, you thing they will get your message," Leo eventually asked.

"No idea," Arthur grimaced, "but it was the best chance I had."

"How do you expect to set up this meeting," Lance questioned. "I don't expect those blokes to be visiting that bar anytime soon."

He gave the guys the most winsome smile he could manage with the migraine pounding at his temples, "With those secretive resistance types? I imagine it'll be one of those we'll call you things. They'll probably kidnap me or something."

Silence.

"You're kidding," Leo deadpanned.

The Once and Future King just laughed in response and made his way to bed as Leo turned earnestly to Lance and Percy, "He's kidding right!?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 20 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

The former king looked around at all the celebrating people, a fake smile plastered on his face. It was Arthur's 20th Birthday Celebration, and as per tradition there was a big gala being held in his honor. Everyone who was anyone was there, decked out in all their finery.

The hall was brightly lit and spacious, and the walls were covered in Pendragon red. Scattered around the room were breathtaking ice sculptures. Waiters flowed through the crowd offering drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

He watched this all while holding back a grimace. Arthur hated his birthday, always had—even in his past life. The day was forever shadowed by grief from the death of his mother. Today's celebration was particularly frustrating and only served to remind the prince even for that Merlin was missing. Even after all these years he was still looking over his shoulder expecting to the his best friend making some goofy face to alleviate Arthur's boredom while he was forced to listen to some self-important wind bag prattle on and on about one thing or another.

The reborn royal let his mind wonder as he pretended to listen to another minister wish him happy birthday. It had been two weeks since the confrontation in the alley and no word or sign from the Resistance. Arthur was due to start his freshman year at Albion University in two months, majoring in International Business (an Uther approved major). Lance and Gwen would be starting with him the former knight as a philosophy major and the once Queen in Metallurgy. Morgan was already attending as a junior majoring in Public Relations.

"Well, don't you look deep in thought," his sister said from beside him, "careful don't hurt yourself."

Arthur frowned looking over at her, she was holding a flute of champagne smirking over its rim at him. Seeing his expression her smirk fell into an expression of concern. It warmed the prince's heart a little to see more and more of the true Morgan show itself.

"What has Uther done now," she demanded, angling her head and lowing her voice.

He couldn't help but scoff. "What hasn't that man done," Arthur answered, hands clenching. The former king was careful to avoid looking in the corner of the ball room where Uther was standing, knowing that if he did his hatred would be there for everyone to see.

Morgan leaned back a little, eyebrows raising in surprise, "He must have done something to get rid of you… devotion."

Her mouth pulled down with a hint of the derisive sneer she had often directed at him in their past life after his sister's hatred had consumed her. Arthur had to repress a shiver from shooting down his spine at a glimpse of the darker side of Morgan.

The former prince couldn't prevent another frown from appearing on his face knowing it was his loyalty to their father that had prevented her from going to him for help in their past lives. She wouldn't have been surprised by what Uther had shown him having seen the monster behind the man long before Arthur did.

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby he told her what had been plaguing him for days, "He's looking for the origin of Magic."

Morgan's reaction was immediate, she paled, and the reborn king reached out a hand to steady her. His sister's grey eyes were wide and panicked.

"What!?" She bit out sharply, her hands gripping onto him with bruising force.

Arthur suppressed a wince and looked around before pulling her with him into a secluded corner.

"He's taking sorcerers and torturing," he spit out, "them looking for the origin of Magic. He plans to destroy it."

She hissed and the prince was glad that her magic hadn't come in yet (thought she was constantly annoyed by that fact).

"Of course," his sister sneered, "a man like Uther can't be happy with the thousands he's slaughtered. He has to go meddling in things he has no understanding of!"

"Morgan, that's not all," he said hoping to distract her from her anger a bit, but also needing to warn her, "Uther has technology that can scan for Magic users. He has plans to install it everywhere he can: schools, government buildings, public buildings."

His sister paled again, her eyes showing a vulnerability Arthur had rarely ever seen.

"Once your magic comes in you'll have to be extremely careful," he told her then gave a reassuring smile. "Fortunately you are Morgan LeFey ward of the House of Pendragon, no one would dare presume to scan you!"

He was gratified to see a little of her fear disappear as her head lifted and Morgan's signature smirk blossomed on her face, though a little forced.

"I would like to see them try," she declared, her nose raised haughtily in the air. She held the pose for a second looking completely confident and brazen then slowly as if all the energy was draining from her she lowered her head and her shoulders drooped just the tiniest bit.

"So many others will not be as fortunate. Thousands will be caught. We must do something!"

The same steel that had enable her to speak up to Uther in either life glinted in his sister's eyes. Arthur scowled, reminded of the lack of response he had gotten from the Resistance. He didn't even know if the Dragon Lord had gotten his message.

Immediately noticing her brother's expression, Morgan's quicksilver eyes began boring into him.

"Arthur," she drawled and he just managed to hold back a cringe, "what did you do?"

Glancing around quickly to make sure no one had moved close enough to overhear the prince recapped what he and the guys had overheard and his impulsive plot to call out the Dragon Lord. Her expression was a curious mix of hope and exasperation.

"That was incredibly stupid, Arthur," she sighed, the former king opened his mouth in outrage, but before he could say anything she cut him off.

"It was _stupid_ ," Morgan reiterated, glaring at him sternly, "You don't know if those men are even in this Resistance. They could have gone a blabbed to _anyone_ that the Crown Prince was going around the slums asking to speak with a _magic user._ Uther could have found out! He has spies everywhere!

His sister was just barely restraining herself from the spitting rage he could see in her eyes; however, behind the anger and condescending attitude there was a concern and dare he say it: fear—fear for him.

It was only the sign of her fear and the knowledge he was the cause of it which allowed Arthur to keep his voice gentle in the face of her rebuff, "It was— **is** the best chance I've got, Morgan. They have a better chance of spreading the word. The Resistance needs to know, and that was the only way I could think of getting their attention."

She still looked ready to spew flames so the former king hurriedly continued, "It was weeks ago. If they were going to go to Uther they would have done it by now."

Morgan just exhaled noisily, "Fine, you idiot."

Arthur made a noise of complaint, but she ignored it glaring at him with the full power of her bright, grey eyes, "Just take care not to get yourself killed. I have no desire to be queen."

With those final words she sauntered off leaving him completely gob-smacked. A warm feeling settled over the prince and for a moment he was thankful she had walked off or he might have done something embarrassingly girly, like hug her. Arthur contained the smile that threatened to break free and composed himself before regretfully rejoining the crowd and immediately being swarmed by sycophants.

It was well past midnight when the exhausted prince finally staggered his way up to his apartment. He probably should have slept at the palace, but Arthur couldn't force himself to sleep there no matter how tired or late it was. Just the thought of what could be going on in that dilapidated looking shed made him want to retch.

He fumbled trying to get the code to enter his apartment. Normally, he would've pounded on the door until one of the guys answered but Lance had gone off to visit Gwen and Leo and Percy were probably still at the palace having been roped into helping with security for the celebration. Leo was probably going to lecture him for leaving without the former knights, but at the time he was too taxed to care.

Arthur suddenly jerked to awareness at the scuff of a shoe from behind him. he turned around to see a broad-shouldered man. He was wearing a black hoodie which in the dark was effective in hiding his facial features.

The prince was about to shoo the man away thinking he was paparazzi when a youngish voice whispered out to his left, " _ **Onslæp nu**_ "

He jerked around to face this new threat. The last thing the former king saw was a flash of gold underneath a hoodie before his world was enveloped by darkness.

.

.

.

The first thing Arthur became aware of as he slowly regained consciousness was the feel of cold, rough stone against his cheek. The prince was careful to keep his face and breathing relaxed while assessing his situation. Thankfully, other than a mild headache he had no injuries.

Whoever had kidnapped him had tied his hands together in front of him but left his feet free. As the reborn king became more awake he could hear harsh whispers coming from all around. Their voices seemed to echo as if in a large space.

"We know you're awake, Pendragon," a gruff voice said and silence descended.

He opened his eyes seeing no reason to keep pretending and pushed himself up into a kneeling position. There were people all around him: men, women, and a few children. Some were watching Arthur with fearful, weary eyes but the majority of them looked at him with hatred.

The hall he found himself in was illuminated by orbs of light magically floating through the air. The walls were stone like the floor but smooth and interspersed at regular intervals by little alcoves. As one of the orbs floated by he saw that the alcoves were occupied by coffins and knew instantly where he was: the Catacombs.

It was smart really. The Catacombs had been around long before the founding of the city above it. No one knew their full extent, they were ancient. Every year there were stories of people who disappeared into the Catacombs without a trace. It was the perfect hideout. Any pursuit would be lost in this endless maze surrounded by the dead, and, Arthur realized, if he tried to escape he would end up just as lost.

"I heard you wanted to speak with me, Pendragon," the same voice from earlier spoke, calling his attention from the room and crowd to the man who was clearly their leader.

The prince had to keep his mouth from dropping open, it was Balinor. Balinor was the Dragon Lord. His stomach curled with disappointment, but he angrily pushed it down.

"Well," the other man drawled looking Arthur up and down in derision, "how can I be of service, _Your Highness_?"

There were a few snickers from around the room, but he ignored them, calmly meeting the Dragon Lord's glare, "I came to warn you—"

"Warn us," someone to his left jeered though he couldn't make out who. "Warn us of what? That your kind is hunting us down like dogs. You might not have noticed from your bloody throne, but we are well aware!"

Angry mutters broke out at this exclamation, crashing against the former king like a tidal wave.

"Silence!" Balinor called, not even having to raise his voice and the hall was immediately quiet again. The older man studied Arthur from flat, brown eyes under bushy brows.

"And why," he asked, drawing the word out like it tasted bad, "should we trust the word of a Pendragon?"

"I'm here aren't I," the prince responded gesturing with his bound hands to the hall around them. "I asked to meet with you, even knowing you had Magic and could easily kill me. If Uther had gotten any wind of me requesting to speak with a magic user, let alone the leader of the Resistance, I'd be locked away." He'd certainly had no problems doing it in their past lives.

"Lies!" Someone yelled.

"It's a trick, a trap," another responded.

"As if the Blood King would lock his precious son away," somebody else scoffed.

Arthur ignored the mutterings and kept his eyes locked with Balinor's. The other man had his head tilted slightly to the left and was studying him curiously. The Dragon Lord seemed to be the only one to recognize that I hadn't called Uther my father and to understand the importance of that fact. He considered the prince for a moment longer before taking a step forward and raising his hands to silence the crowd which had been getting louder and louder.

"Peace!" the other man called, looking around solemnly at the gathered people.

"Blake! You can't seriously believe—" an angry voice behind Arthur interrupted but Balinor—Blake—quelled them with a look.

"We have all lost loved ones to Uther and his crusade against Magic," he said into the renewed hush. The people were still, and even the air seemed to hang heavy on the Dragon Lord's words. "I myself have lost a son to Uther's pyre."

All the air in Arthur's lungs seemed to disappear, and for a moment he wasn't quite sure how he managed to stay kneeling. _No. No. Nonononono, Please—_

Bali—Blake—continued as if he hadn't just shattered the prince's world.

"My boy, stolen from his crib mere hours after being born. You know this," he said, nodding to the crowd, "Uther has massacred so many people." The reborn king watched numbly as the gathered crowd shifted and whispered in agreement.

"Still, I think we should listen to what Pendragon here has to say," the voices around Arthur became more agitated but they settled again at a beseeching hand from Blake. "After we hear his message we can decide whether to heed his warning or ignore it. Either way we lose nothing."

The atmosphere was tense and with a jolt the former King pulled himself from the screams of _MerlinMerlinMerlin_ crashing around in his head. With immense effort Arthur willed himself to focus on the people around him and not on the ball of ice and grief that had settled around his heart like a vice.

"Uther has technology that can detect Magic. He has plans to install them everywhere: universities, colleges, public and government buildings. No one will be allowed entry without surrendering to the scan, those who refuse will be detained, and if Magic is found…Well, I don't think I need to say."

The prince thanked his royal upbringing that his voice remained steady and showed nothing of the destruction Blake's words had caused him even as panic and rage broke out around him. Like a whip, Blake's commanding voice rang out halting everyone before things descended into frightened chaos.

Mouth set in a grim line, the Dragon Lord studied Arthur as if trying to gage if he was telling the truth, finally the other man spoke, "Is there anything else you can tell us. Any more details?"

"Only that he plans to have everything in place by the end of the year," the former king responded. Blake snapped into action.

"Duncan, Whithers," he said turning to two men in the crowd. They stepped forward, soldiers ready for orders. "Begin spreading the word, tell people to get ready to go to ground."

"Sal," he turned now to a woman dressed in simple grey sweats as the two men disappeared down a hallway Arthur had failed to notice earlier, "begin warning our sympathizers. When those bitches leading that terrorist group who like to call themselves a Rebellion get word of this they will be sure to step up their attacks. Our friends need to be prepared."

The woman, Sal, nodded and headed down the same hallway the two men had disappeared from. Those remaining still whispered and fidgeted in worry, but they were much more contained under Blake's soothing presence.

"There's more," the prince said, feeling everyone's eyes snap to him like a rubber band.

The Dragon Lord turned back to look at Arthur and he took a deep breath before continuing, "Uther searches for the Origin of Magic—"

He could say no more as pandemonium broke free. There were frantic exclamations, people were clutching each other in fear. Somewhere near the back a child's voice let out a wail, probably frightened by the sudden bedlam. Abruptly there was a loud **CRACK** and everyone turned back to Blake just in time to watch him lower a hand and see the gold fade form his eyes.

"Uther will never find the Origin of Magic," the other man stated calmly, even Arthur felt reassured. A tight knot of worry he'd been carrying since Uther revealed his intentions unraveled.

"Not only has the true location of the Origin of Magic been lost for centuries," Blake said, "but it is also protected by wards set in place by the greatest warlock to have ever lived, Merlin."

The Once and Future King just barely managed to keep back a flinch at his best friend's name, the despair he had shoved to the back of his mind threatening to overwhelm him again. The Dragon Lord's voice was a welcome distraction as the other man continued to speak.

"Uther is welcome to waste his time trying. It would take powerful magic to penetrate those wards. Magic that only a handful of sorcerers in the world have, even then it might not be enough, and none of those sorcerers will ever work for the King."

Blake looked at the crowd, making eye contact with just about everyone to ensure they all heard his next words, "The Origin of Magic is safe."

Things immediately calmed down after that. The people around Arthur were relieved. In the lull he carefully shifted himself from kneeling to standing glad no one seemed to object. The prince slapped the dust and dirt from his pants with his tied up hands and slowly shook out his legs. Kneeling for long periods of time was painful. On a stone floor? Unbearable.

"Why are you helping us?" A young voice interrupted his stretching and the reborn king looked up.

Ice settled in Arthur's veins and he had to hold back the tensing of his muscles in reaction to the person who had addressed him. It was Mordred, at about the same age as he was when the prince had first seen him in Camelot a lifetime ago. He was no more than a young boy Arthur told himself, and thankfully there didn't appear to be any flash of recognition in the boy's eyes.

"Meirion, you know you're not supposed to be here," Blake reproved though Mordred—er, Meirion, ignored him. The Dragon Lord just sighed in exasperation. "Where is your mother, son?" He asked instead.

The boy finally had the decency to look guilty, "She was cooking dinner, father." Seeing the disapproval directed his way the former druid boy continued, "I had to come! Everyone was making so much noise. I knew something important had happened!"

Arthur's head snapped back to Blake as shock course through him. _Mordred was Balinor's son!?_ In his shock he didn't even bother to correct himself to their present day names. The former king knew for sure that in their past lives there was no relation. Mordred's father back then had been killed by the knights.

Then the prince remembered, the Dragon Lord had said his son was killed by Uther, but he was right there. Blake must have seen his confusion because he gestured for Meirion to move to stand in front of him and laid his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Meirion here is my second son," he said sadly. "The boy I spoke of was my first. He was a bit of a premature baby and the doctors took him away for check-ups. I had stayed with my wife while she recovered, and never saw my son again. We—we didn't even get to name him."

His former killer was glaring at him with pale, blue eyes and Arthur fought not to fidget or try to reach for a weapon that wasn't there. It was difficult staring into the face of his murderer, even if the other was currently a child. Back then Mordred had rightly blamed the former king for the death of his love, and now, now the boy blamed him for the death of a brother he never got to meet. A brother Arthur would have given anything to see.

The prince pushed those thoughts away as Meirion spoke, again breaking the tension that had been building throughout Blake's explanation, "So, why are you helping us, Pendragon?"

The boy's eyes pierced right through him and the former king found he could only answer truthfully.

"Because you are my people," he responded, speaking now to everyone in the room. "I swore to protect my people and that includes all of you and every magic user out there. I can't do much now as I'm only a prince, but I will still do everything in my power to help, which is why I gave you the warning. It is my duty to help as many innocents as I can."

His words caused a fervor of whispers to break out, but he could still see that Meirion wasn't convinced. Shoving back his pride and fear, Arthur knelt down in front of the boy and grasped one of his hands with his bound ones.

Looking up into the cautious, glacial eyes the prince spoke, "I… also have people very dear to me who have magic, and I want them to be safe. I want them to have a world where they can use their gifts freely. I want my people to see how precious, how wonderful such a gift can be. Because I have been shown that it can be so, and I want everyone to know."

His voice was only loud enough for Meirion to hear and Blake who was standing behind him.

Both were looking at Arthur with a familiar gleam in their eyes that he recognized from leading his men to battle, from telling Morgan he would protect her, and—he painfully remembered—from Merlin, when his friend would look at him in those quiet times between them, or after he had given a motivating speech.

The Once and Future King looked around and saw the same gleam in the eyes around him, it was hope. The moment was broken by chimes that sounded like tinkling glass.

"Well, Prince Arthur," the Dragon Lord said, "looks like it's time to return you. Before your people realize you're missing."

Arthur could only blink at the realization that he probably hadn't been gone that long. It felt like days since he was first knocked out.

"Unfortunately we can't let you know the paths to get to our hideaway. Good night… and thank you, Prince Arthur," there was a smirk on Blake's lips matched by the one on Meirion's. He tried to ask what he meant, but before he could the boy threw his hand forward and the prince found himself looking into golden eyes.

" _ **Onslæp nu**_ "

.

.

.

Arthur came to in his own bedroom with Leo pounding on the door. The former king could only groan in response to the loud noise. The former knight swiftly opened the door and stomped inside incensed.

"Arthur Pendragon," he growled, looming over the prince. Leo's face was a rictus of exhaustion and irritation. His fatigue was the only reason Arthur could think for the other man to barge into his room. Even after all this time, Leo could be so stiff about maintaining propriety. There were deep shadows underneath the former knight's eyes and from his clothes the future king could tell he had just gotten in from working the celebrations.

"What were you thinking! Leaving the palace without a guard," Leo practically shouted. "You should have come to get me and Percy. We could have left with you."

Arthur felt a flash of guilt at the other man's words, but then he remembered what had happened and sprang out of bed. The former knight stopped his rant in alarm.

"The Resistance," the prince exclaimed, "I need to get everyone here. I need to tell them—,"

"Woah, Arthur, slow down," Leo pulled him back from where he was getting ready to bolt out the door. "It's six o'clock in the morning. Whatever this is, it can wait. No one will be in the mood to talk at this time."

The former king wanted to argue, but looking at his friend again Arthur saw just how exhausted the man was and grudgingly agreed.

"Good," Leo said, starting to waiver on his feet and the prince reached out to steady him. "Now, I'm going to bed. See you later."

"Yeah, later," he responded, only now realizing he was pretty tired too.

The adrenaline form the past few hours was wearing off and Arthur was beginning to feel exhaustion tugging at his limbs. The prince hastily stripped down to his underwear and climbed back into bed. Tomorrow he would need to tell everyone about… about Merlin, but for now he pushed those thoughts away and allowed sleep to claim him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 20 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

The club music seemed to rattle in Arthur's chest, and the prince did his best to avoid the heavy press of bodies on the dance floor as he made his way to the bar. The former king's first semester at Albion University had finally ended, and the guys had dragged him he since he could no longer use studying as an excuse. Not that it was a particularly strong excuse in the first place as it was well known how much he avoided such things in both his life-times.

Arthur dicked under the flailing limbs of a chick who looked like she was having a seizure and finally made it to the bar. Leo and Percy were somewhere in the crowd, close enough to watch him but far enough away to not be overbearing. Lance and Gwen were on the dance floor probably lost in their own world. The prince ordered a shot of Jack and turned to watch the people in the club. They all looked so free and relaxed now that finals were over. Even several months after meeting Blake part of Arthur just couldn't understand how the world kept going.

* * *

He restlessly paced the length of their living room while Leo and Percy watched in concern. Gwen was making hers

elf a cup of tea and Lance was indulging in some of the biscuits when Morgan finally walked through the door.

"Arthur, I hope this is important—"

"I met with the Dragon Lord last night," the prince said, cutting her off. Everyone looked at him in alarm, but he just kept pacing. "It was Balinor, or the reincarnation of Balinor. I warned him about the scanners and Uther's search for the Origin of Magic."

"Well, what did he say?" Leo asked, crossing his arms and glancing at Morgan who had gone pale at the reminder of what Uther was planning.

"He said it was safe," Arthur said also glancing towards Morgan. "Apparently Merlin warded the cave and with the decline of Magic there's hardly anyone in the world powerful enough to break them."

They all relaxed at the news although there was still a small amount of concern in their eyes due to this further proof that magic was weakening. The former king finally stopped his pacing and braced himself to give the truly bad news.

"His son was there."

"Merlin?" Gwen questioned sounding confused but hopeful.

"No, Mordred," he responded and everyone tensed up. "He doesn't remember."

They all looked at Morgan whose face was a blank mask. Even before she had fallen, his sister had been oddly attached to the former druid boy.

Noticing our looks she lifted her chin and said, "At least with them he'll be safe. Or as safe as anyone with magic under Uther's rule can be."

There was silence following her declaration before Arthur called attention back to himself.

"Balinor, or Blake, as he's called now also mentioned another son."

"Arthur," Gwen said, beginning to look concerned. "What are you trying to say?"

She shared an equally worried look with Lance, and the future king suddenly remembered that the former knight and Merlin had been close before Lance sacrificed himself to save Camelot. Leo and Percy just watched, waiting for the prince to continue. He met Morgan's eyes and shivered. There was a familiar expression of hatred on her face, and Arthur knew it was at the mention of his best friend. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see their reaction to his news.

"His son went missing shortly after being born." There was a gasp, but the former king ignored it. His body was trembling as he relived Blake's words and the cry of _MerlinMerlinMerlin_ that he wouldn't let out.

"He said that Uther—"

Arthur choked back the words. The prince's grief overwhelming him for an instant. He'd always known there was a chance Merlin had died in the Purge. Up until now he had easily ignored that fact, pushing it to the back of his mind whenever it cropped up, but he couldn't avoid it now.

"Are you sure it was Merlin?" He heard Morgan ask, and the former king's eyes snapped open to stare at her in incredulity.

"If he had been alive all this time he would have done something to stop the Purge," Arthur told her.

She merely scoffed. "The coward never did anything in the past. He's probably hiding away—"

"He would have found me!"

The ringing silence that followed his statement told the prince he must have shouted it. His sister was staring at him with pity and he had to look away.

"If he had been alive he would have found me," Arthur repeated more quietly.

There was a voice in the back of his mind that whispered about how Merlin hadn't even told the former king about his magic until he'd been dying; why would his former manservant search him out? He ignored that voice. Merlin was his most loyal friend. The warlock wouldn't have turned away from him.

"Something must have happened, and Merlin must have been reborn like the rest of us," Arthur said when the silence got to be too much.

Looking around, the prince met each of their gazes. Morgan's was cold, but while her words had angered him he could see how she was still affected by her past interactions with Merlin. The former king had not yet been able to convince her to explain to him why she hated the other so much, much more than she'd hated him. Only his sister's hatred of Uther surpassed it.

Arthur tore his eyes from Morgan and met gazes with Leo. The former knight seemed sad, but not overly grief stricken. The other man had never been particularly close to Merlin, and he hadn't had much more time after the reborn king's death for that to change too much. Lance and Percy, however, clearly appeared to be in anguish, and Gwen's eyes were filled with tears she seemed determined to not let fall. The former queen met his gaze evenly and finally gave him the courage to say the dreaded words out loud.

"Blake said he lost a son to Uther's pyre."

* * *

The heavy weight of a person clinging onto him knocked Arthur out of his grief filled memory. All the prince could see of the person was shoulder length brown hair. From the arms draped around him he could tell it was no woman. Whoever it was, they smelled strongly of alcohol, and from the way the other's body slumped into the former king's they were clearly drunk. Leo and Percy were there in an instant ready to throw the drunkard off him.

"Princess!" The man said, freezing Arthur and the former knights in place. Only one person had ever dared call him such.

"Gwaine?" He asked, heaving the louse of him so he could get a look at his face. It was his former knight. The man had the same scruffy face and cocky smirk.

"Of course, we'd find you here," the prince said. He shoved the other man off into Percy letting the bigger man catch the drunk before he fell over.

"You know me, Princess," Gwaine said. He didn't even sound phased by his rough treatment. "Where there's ale and women I'm not far behind."

Percy finally managed to get the inebriated man on his own two feet but the other still waivered back and forth. Arthur watched him and wondered how much the former knight had to drink. Gwaine's tolerance had been legendary. The man in question squinted at the former king and leaned forward coming dangerously close to toppling over.

"This ain't a dream? Is it, Princess," he demanded.

"No, Gwaine, it's not," Arthur replied. The other stared hard into the prince's eyes before seeming to believe him. Then he toppled over unconscious. Leo and Percy managed to catch the man before he hit the ground. They all shared a look. Typical.

"Let's get him back to my place so he can sober up," the reborn king said gesturing towards the exit. His friends nodded in agreement but before they could step too far away the bar tender spoke up.

"Oi, are one of you going to cover Ashton's tab?" He asked, shouting to be heard over the loud club music.

For a moment the only thing Arthur could thing was: Ashton? Really? Then a truly evil smirk settled on his face. He would never let the other man live this down. From the expressions on Leo's and Percy's faces they wouldn't either. The tab was impressively large and explained Gwaine's—cough—he means, Ashton's state.

The prince easily paid it off, but made note of the amount so he could squeeze it from the drunkard later. He messaged Gwen and Lance about what had happened and told them to meet up at his apartment in the morning.

When he got outside Leo was just pulling up with the former king's Aston Martin. Together they shoved Gwaine's limp form into the backseat. After a short game of rock-paper-scissors, Percy smugly joined me up front while Leo stayed in the back. Getting up to his apartment was a job and a half, and by the time they'd made it all of them were out of breath and sweaty. They dropped the unconscious man on the couch and stepped back.

"Well, as drunk as he was, he should be out until morning," Leo said. The former knight was using his sleeve to wipe droplets of sweat from his forehead as he stared down at his comrade in arms.

"On the bright side we know that Ashton remembers," Percy stated in an overly calm voice.

There was a second of silence and then they all burst into laughter. The man of the hour simply snored and continued to sleep.

"As amusing as that is," Arthur said, "we're going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow catching him up. I suggest we turn in."

"Very well," Leo agreed. Percy just grinned. It was the giant man's turn in the second bedroom, and since the couch was being used Leo would have to sleep on the floor. The prince thought for a moment that he really should look into moving into a bigger place. After all he was a royal, and with the addition of his last knight this place was going to get too small.

The former king changed and settled down to sleep but couldn't get comfortable on his bed. Arthur's thoughts were buzzing. After a whole year of searching they'd finally managed to find Gwaine. Although it was more like the man had found them. Part of the prince dreaded tomorrow and having to explain everything again, but the other part was glad to have found another friend even if it was his most annoying one. Though the knight was never as annoying as—Arthur pushed that thought away before finishing it.

Tomorrow was going to be unpleasant.

.

.

.

As he walked into the kitchen the Once and Future King was Gwaine hunched over the table looking miserable. His last knight was jealously guarding a cup of coffee and glaring at the world. Leo was sitting next to the man munching on some cold cereal. He could hear the shower running and knew that Percy was up too.

"I take it you slept well, _Ashton_ ," Arthur said, emphasizing the man's name and watching in amusement as the former knight's gave snapped to him in horror.

"No! How did you…" He wasn't even able to finish his sentence. Leo and the prince just smirked at each other.

"The bartender at the club was quite demanding that someone pay off your tab, _Ashton_ ," Arthur said in a highly cheerful voice.

Gwaine just groaned and looked at the former king pleadingly, "Look, mate. I have everyone just call me Gwaine. It's my middle-name anyway. Sort of. Ashton is just too posh and princessey for me. It fits you better than a roguish man such as myself."

He ignored the other man's last jab with effort, "What do you mean, 'Sort of'?"

The former knight slapped on his patented cocky smirk #4 though the effect was ruined by the clear signs of hangover present on his face.

"My name is Ashton Gavin Noble. Like I said—way too posh," he rolled his eyes, "I've been going by Gwaine for years."

Arthur was about to tease the other man more when the front door opened and in walked Lance, Gwen, Elliot, and Morgan. The sound of a chair toppling over quickly diverted the prince's attention back to Gwaine. He was glaring heatedly at Morgan, hand at his side as if he had reached for a sword that wasn't there. Percy came out of the bedroom hair still damp from his shower and took in the scene. The bigger man looked at Arthur and soon everyone else was too.

Right, he recalled, explanation time.

 **-[XXXX]- Arthur 21 yrs. Old –[XXXX]-**

Arthur angrily made his way to the Administration Building of Albion University asking himself what had happened to the sucking up and kissing ass. Classes started in a week and the prince's schedule still hadn't been fixed. He'd sent them the email about it weeks ago, but no one had gotten back to him.

The former king had a strict plan to follow to ensure he graduated in four years, and if he didn't get into Economics this semester then he wouldn't be able to apply for the internship he wanted in the summer. Arthur usually hated to be given royal privilege, but he had plans. The sooner he graduated the sooner he could start making a difference.

His foul mood even convinced Percy and Leo to stay behind with the car. Arthur was almost to the door of the building when he came to a sudden stop as someone collided with him and landed on the ground with a soft _oomph_.

"Watch where you're going," the prince snarled, not really in the mood to be polite.

"It was you who ran into me. You big clotpole!"

The Once and Future King felt his heart miss a beat, and all the air in his lungs _whooshed_ out in his shock. Arthur knew that voice. It was achingly familiar, and only one person ever called him clotpole. As if moving through molasses his gaze travelled downward and met startling blue.

From the eyes the prince's gaze traveled to ridiculous ears which were just as big as he remembered. The former king noticed through his shock that the other's hair was a little shorter than it had been. Also to Arthur's disappointment there was no red neckerchief, but it didn't matter. His best friend was alive. _AliveAliveAlive._

"Merlin."

Somehow the prince still had enough air to call out the other's name. At that moment he couldn't care less that he sounded less than regal. The royal probably looked stupid staring down at brunette dumbly. Arthur felt like he could dance for joy. The prince wanted to reach out and touch the scrawny male to make sure he was real—that Merlin was there. Right in front of him.

"Looks like the cabbage head can read," Merlin said.

Through his numb thoughts the future king noticed the plain white badge clipped to his friend's jacket with the other's name printed in simple black letters. He was a freshman then. They were the only ones who had badges. Arthur brushed the errant thoughts away. They weren't important right now. The prince only wanted to demand where the other had been. Why Merlin had taken so long to find him.

What came out instead was, "You can't speak to me like that."

Merlin just rolled his eyes, "Who do you think you are, the King?"

"No," the future king responded a lead weight settling in his stomach as he realized how similar this conversation was to their first meeting. In both instances there was no recognition in the other man's eyes. "I'm his son, Arthur."

"Well then," Merlin said, finally picking himself up from the ground. "No wonder you're such an arse."

The brunette glared at Arthur for a moment before turning around mumbling under his breath about apologies and prats. The prince was so caught up in how _Merlin_ the other's actions were that he didn't even notice his friend had reached the door of the Administration Building until it was too late.

The former king watched in horror as Merlin stretched a hand out to the scanner that would detect his magic and get him arrested. No, you idiot, Arthur thought, but he was still too shocked to say anything.

The warlock's hand finally rested on the palm scanner and the prince was getting ready to scream out to him to _RUN_ when in a flash of green light the other was gone. Merlin had entered the building without any problems. No security. Only a little green light which meant that he was magicless.

Arthur stood out there with his mouth hanging open just trying to understand what had happened. He'd met his best friend who didn't recognize him. The other man was still the same as ever, but he didn't know the former king. He'd seen Merlin, and Merlin had seen him, but the other didn't know him. And then the most shocking thing of all which if Arthur hadn't seen himself he wouldn't have believed. Merlin scanned negative for magic.

Merlin didn't have magic.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

He didn't know how long he stood there in a stupor—long enough for Leo and Percy to come investigating at least.

"Arthur?" Leo questioned as he and Percy approached. The prince barely noticed as they looked him over for injuries and then scanned the surrounding area.

"Arthur? What's going on? What's wrong," his former knight asked again sounding more and more alarmed the longer the former king went without answering.

"Merlin," was all he said in response.

"What? Arthur—"

Percy cut off now staring in shock at the entrance of the Administration Building. Leo followed our gazes and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

Merlin was as oblivious as ever. His former manservant walked towards them with only a single glance in their direction; however, as soon as he saw Arthur he scowled and sped up. Just as he was passing them the scrawny man tripped on a jutting piece of sidewalk. On instinct the prince reached out and grabbed his friend to keep the idiot from face planting into the concrete.

"Still as clumsy as ever I see," slipped out while the royal was settling the brunette on his feet.

Arthur had a moment of panic realizing that if Merlin didn't remember his past life his statement would have sounded crazy, but the younger man's flushed and angry face soon distracted him.

"It was you who knocked me over the first time you—you, ASS!" Merlin cried, poking and accusatory finger into his chest.

"If you had watched where you were going instead of strutting around like a royal prat who goes around knocking innocent bystanders over—"

"You're right," the prince cut him off before his friend could devolve into a long-winded rant. Merlin simply blinked as if that was the last thing he expected the royal to say. Leo and Percy were still gaping in shock and awe looking at the lanky man as if he had sprouted a third head.

"How about I make it up to you?" Arthur continued, trying to ignore how big Merlin's eyes got when he was caught off guard. "Coffee? My treat."

A choking noise came from Leo and the former king barely managed not to flush as he realized how that had sounded.

"Not as a date," he quickly corrected. "Just to apologize."

An odd expression flashed across his reborn friend's face, almost like disappointment, but it was gone before the royal could be sure.

"Sure," the brunette said drawing it out like he wasn't entirely positive agreeing was a good idea.

"Great!" Arthur responded, not even trying to hide the enthusiasm in his voice. "How's tomorrow at nine at The Rising Sun Café just off campus?

"Uh, yeah. I've passed it a few times," Merlin said looking stunned. "So, I guess I'll see you there for our, er, not-date."

"Yeah," the prince agreed as an awkward silence fell between them. Leo and Percy were no help, the both of them just standing there glancing between former manservant and king.

Finally the moment was broken as Merlin quickly pulled out his phone to check the time. It was a cheap looking flip phone covered in tiny scratches. The little silver dragon charm attached to it made the future king's pull up just a little.

"Well…I've gotta go or I'm going to be late for freshman orientation," the other man said when he'd put away his phone. "I would say that it was nice running into you but the ground was kinda hard…"

A full-blown smile made its way onto Arthur's face as his best friend mumbled on. He could just imagine Merlin making similar complaints back at Camelot (the real one). The former manservant muttered something that sounded like goodbye, and then he was rushing off, all gangly limbed and tense.

Once the younger man was out of sight the former knights could no longer keep their silence. They both rounded on the prince expressions full of confusion and worry. Arthur was not that far off himself. While he was happy to see his best friend alive the royal also despaired that the other didn't seem to remember like the rest of them had. Most concerning of all was the former manservants lack of Magic.

"Sire, what just happened," Leo asked, concern causing him to slip into old habits.

The last of the prince's smile disappeared, "He doesn't remember."

Both of the former knights glanced between each other at the obvious depression in their king's voice (even if Arthur was currently only a prince, he would always be their King—all the knights felt that way).

"Maybe he was pretending, like we did," Percy tried to reassure. "He might think he's crazy and try to act normal."

"No," the Once and Future King said with certainty, "he doesn't remember. I'm sure of it."

Leo and Percy glanced at each other again but decided not to question their liege. They instead moved on to the next concern.

"He said he was a freshman," Leo mumbled in confusion, "but that should be impossible the scanners—"

"He tested negative for Magic," Arthur interrupted voice sharp.

"That's impossible," Percy responded looking like he was about to check the royal for fever. "Merlin is Magic. He can't just not have—"

"Well he did," the former king bit out, "he walked right into the Admin Building without setting off a single alarm. I watched him do it with my own eyes."

His former knights' eyes widened in alarm, but Arthur too lost in his thoughts. Merlin had looked fine. He'd looked normal. Maybe that was the problem. His best friend had never been _normal_. Even when the former king had thought the other man was just a simple servant he'd always felt that there was _something_ about Merlin.

Now Arthur's senses told him something was wrong, and he'd bet his kingdom it was tied to his best friend's lack of Magic.

"Come on," the prince said moving in the direction of his car. "We need to tell the others."

The three of them reached his car and hoped in. The royal headed to the University's open intermural fields were the rest of their group was meeting. The guys were going to play a game of footie while the girls sat and talked about girl things. They were already a bit late.

When Arthur pulled up to the field everyone else was already there. Gwen and Morgan were spreading out a picnic blanket while the guys were moving food from the cars to the blanket. The others looked up and waved in greeting.

"Princess," Gwaine's grating voice called out loudly, "You're late. Were you unable to sweet talk those fine ladies in Admin to let you take that class?"

They laughed at the other man's joke before noticing the royal's somber expression. Gwen and Morgan stood from where they'd been kneeling and placing food while Lance, Elliot, and Gwaine stood straighter and looked around as if searching for threats.

Gwen was the first to approach him having the most experience (other than Merlin) with his temporal moods. "Arthur, what's wrong?"

The prince let out a deep exhale as he looked into her brown eyes. He might no longer romantically love the former Queen but he still found her presence soothing. Her calm during trying times is one of the things that had made her a great Queen. Now as his heart-sister she once again eased some of his trouble.

"I ran into Merlin," Arthur said still finding it hard to believe his friend was alive after so long of thinking him dead.

The edge of the picnic blanket caught fire and they all looked over to see gold fading from Morgan's eyes. Even she was surprised as they all stared in shock before Leo and Elliot moved to stamp out the flames. Thankfully there was no one else around to call witch and get his sister in trouble. This was her first bout of Magic in this life and while she looked pleased there was also rage in her expression.

"That coward," she ranted eyes like ice. "He has been hiding away all this time."

"Morgan!" Arthur shouted. A hot rage had flared to life inside him at her words.

His sister seemed to realize she'd stepped over a line as her mouth clicked shut and she turned away with a pout. The others all looked at her angrily though they didn't say anything having realized long ago that Morgan had some deep issues when it came to Merlin. The prince understood he couldn't force her to like his best friend, but he would not allow her to bad mouth him.

They all stood around uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. It was Lance who broke the taboo. The other man's dark eyes showing nothing but concern. The former knight moved to clasp his girlfriend's hand in comfort as he asked the question on their minds.

"Where is he?"

The former king frowned knowing they weren't going to be happy with his news. In a measured voice he said, "At Freshman Orientation. He doesn't remember. We literally ran into each other, and he didn't know me."

Gwen gasped bringing her free hand to rest over her heart. Morgan remained silent while the former knights shifted where they stood. They'd discussed many scenarios concerning their warlock: that he'd been captured or even worse killed, but nowhere in their discussions did they even think that Merlin would not remember.

Morgan seemed to be the only one who'd truly comprehended the meaning of his words. Like a whip her voice cracked through the court's silence.

"You said he was at Freshman Orientation," his sister questioned. "How can he be attending University? His Magic should have set off every alarm on campus! If he's discovered a way around them and not shared it—"

"ENOUGH!" Arthur roared and the former High Priestess took a step back in alarm. "I have ignored your attitude about Merlin, Morgan, but I will not allow you to throw around baseless accusations about his character!"

The other's just watched as Arthur continued to verbally tear into his sister not wanting to get between the two siblings.

"If you must know," the former king continued, "Merlin walked right through the scanners. He tested negative! For Magic."

Arthur was breathing heavily and they all stared at him in shock except for Leo and Percy who'd already heard the news. The prince repeated his words, looking down to hide the pain on his face, "Merlin doesn't have his memories and he doesn't have his Magic."

"Something," Gwen said gaining their attention, "something must have happened to him."

"But what," Gwaine asked running his fingers through his hair and looking for all the world as if he could use a drink.

"It could be any number of things," Elliot added. He was only there because his school was out for the summer. Next year he would hopefully be joining them at Albion University majoring as a civil engineer.

Lance took up the thread of the conversation next, "It would be impossible for us to figure out what happened to Merlin. Whatever it was could have occurred hundreds of years ago for all we know."

Percy spoke up next shooting the prince a sly smile, "Arthur has a date with him tomorrow. I sure he could feel him out for clues."

Arthur sputtered giving his former knight a look of betrayal. "It's not a date!"

"Sir," Leo said trying not to laugh, "you agreed to meet at a scheduled time at a predetermined place. That's a date."

The former king scowled but was prevented from commenting by Gwaine opening his loud mouth.

"Oh, ho, Princess," the other man said, "If it's not a date then you won't mind it I join you? He's my friend too, and I'm sure seeing my beautiful face should jog Merlin's memory." The Once and Future King snarled even as the others in the group laughed.

"No, _Ashton_ ," he said enjoying the former knights scowl. "You may not join us. And it's not a date," he said to Leo though he was addressing the whole group. "I'm just apologizing for knocking him over."

"You? Apologizing," Morgan drawled looking at her brother carefully. Arthur recognized the olive branch for what it was and gave her a small smile even as Gwaine began to snicker.

"Yes," the future king stubbornly insisted. "I was in a rather foul mood when we bumped into each other, and I came off a bit rude."

"Only a bit?" Gwen now teased him. The prince would forever deny he was pouting at his friends even as he felt himself relaxing. Those around him felt their shoulders ease as the former king became less tense.

They finally decided to sit down on the burnt blanket and eat their picnic. The group avoided the topic Merlin for Morgan's sake instead focusing on the return of her Magic. His sister admitted that she'd been having nightmares again lately.

"I don't dream of anything concrete," the seer said. "It's all just impressions and feelings. Sometimes I'll get flashes of images but they're too fleeting to really make out."

She sounded disappointed and they all glanced at her in sympathy. From what Arthur understood, his sister's Magic was taking longer to come to full force than it had in their previous lifetime. A fact that seemed to frustrate the former Priestess to no end.

"Now that your Magic seems to be returning you'll need to be extra careful, Morgan," Leo said with concern.

As Arthur had predicted neither he nor Morgan had to deal with getting scanned. None of the guards dared to insist they underwent the tests to see if they had Magic. The prince knew that he was safe, but Morgan always had to be cautious. The fear was taking its toll on his sister as it had last time, but now she had her friends to lean on. Thankfully, this was her last year of University and she wouldn't have to worry about the scanners on campus. Just the ones on Public or Government buildings.

The former king was glad when he heard the report of the number of Magic users caught due to the scanners. It wasn't as many as was projected (though he ached for those who hadn't escaped). The Resistance had done its job and taken many people to ground. Uther had agents looking for all the people who disappeared when the scanners came out but so far no luck.

A couple of months after the release of the Magic scanners the Rebellion, led by women known only as the Priestesses, openly attacked several government buildings. They caused thousands of dollars in damage and a handful of lost lives. Uther had been apocalyptic and had focused all of his forces on apprehending the perpetrators, again to no luck. The attackers had disappeared in a way only capable with Magic. The King had been in a rage for weeks and was still seething about the failure even now.

Arthur had heard no more from the Dragon Lord, but the prince also had no reason or way to contact him. Hopefully, if the Resistance needed aide they would come to him, but for now he and his friends were stuck in school.

The future king's thoughts invariably returned to the issue of Merlin, and the other's lack of memories. How was he supposed to handle this he wondered. Did he befriend the brunette again and hope his memories returned? Or was he supposed to take a more active role in the recovery of his friend's memories?

Arthur wasn't sure, and that frustrated him. He'd waited so long for the idiot. Figures the other would find some way of aggravating him even on accident. The prince couldn't even properly be made since he wasn't sure if his friend was at fault or not. Probably not, but he just didn't _know_.

A grape bouncing off his nose tore the future king from his circuitous thoughts and he looked up to see the others watching him with concealed concern. The royal had no idea who had thrown the grape, but it was Gwaine who broke the silence.

"Come now, Princess," the former knight said. "There's no need to hurt your pretty little head worrying. You have a nice date tomorrow. I'm sure if your ugly mug didn't scare Merlin off today then he'll show up tomorrow."

"It's not a date," Arthur growled, but he let himself be pulled back into reality. The prince would try to stay positive and hold onto the simple fact that after 21 years he'd found his best friend again.


End file.
